Charles Barkley working to become the next Tiger Woods and how science can help you stop choking under pressure

Click here to listen.

To look at the golf swings of both Tiger Woods and Charles Barkley, one would have to admit that they are complete opposites from start to finish. Even with a gimp and a grimace at the 2008 U.S. Open, Woods' fluidity was still beautiful to watch. Barkley's movements, on the other hand, have been the fodder for everyone from amateurs on YouTube to Tiger Woods himself, who jokingly attempted to copy the infamous swing which has been compared to "a tornado on acid".

Charles Barkley has finally had enough ribbing and will allow himself to be guided by Hank Haney in which the master instructor will try and rid the former NBA star, once an 80's golfer, of his "spasmodic hitch". Haney believes this "hitch" is hiding the real quandary and will address problems of dropping the head through impact and the angle of Barkley's swing plane noting, "when you have a mess like he has, you're not going to fix it with a swing thought."

It should be interesting to see if Haney can not only create a new swing for Barkley but also rebuild his confidence. Barkley is ready for improvement mentioning recently that, "it sucks getting ridiculed and humiliated." Once a ten-handicap with great putting abilities, it has to hurt Barkley knowing that the reason he is in this position in the first place is because he didn't realize that his injuries were forcing him to practice incorrectly.

Small golf goals are important to long-term achievement and Barkley's initial step is to break 85. His second? To take on the guys who have mimicked him in the past, namely Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods. On the other hand, with a mantra like, "What other sport can you play with friends for a few bucks, smoke cigars, drink beer, no phones, trash talk and be in the middle of nowhere?" does Barkley even have a chance against single-digit Jordan and Tiger Woods who is, well, perhaps the greatest golfer who has ever lived?

The Haney Project is a seven-part series on the Golf Channel with the first episode airing on March 2nd.



Also, on this week's Golf for Beginners show, we discuss an article in Scientific American which ponders the science of choking under pressure.

Congratulations to Phil Mickelson on his 35th career win at the Northern Trust Open!


Send your golf questions and comments to golfforbeginners@aol.com.

Subscribe to our weekly podcast through this RSS feed: http://feeds.feedburner.com/golfforbeginners or through iTunes.

Click Here to receive our archived podcasts and 100's of easy golf tips free and check us out on MySpace!

"Shiny Tech" courtesy of Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)"

This podcast is supported by ResortsGolfandSpa.com, 866-643-6078.

Photo Credit: © Golf Digest/Thomas Fluharty

Don’t forget to check out our golf gift-giving guide!

How to Choke like Anthony Kim. Tiger Woods, Natalie Gulbis in the news and you can lose but you're not a loser

Click here to listen.

Since Anthony Kim is now being heralded as one of the rising young stars of the PGA Tour (and this weekend with a third place finish at the Korea Open), it seems befitting that we spend some time examining the reasons behind his choked down golf grip. The obvious intent is to improve upon basic contact but it's also a way to establish better control over all of your shots.

Kim's grip even caught the eye of announcer Johnny Miller who made this assessment. "If you grip down, you don't get the club stuck behind you. Your body can move much faster." Miller went on to say, "It's probably something that could help Tiger, who tends to have that problem. But if you don't have that kind of arm and body speed, you're not going to hit it so far gripping down like that."

Whereas some golfers prefer to use this grip at all times and sacrifice a bit of distance, Butch Harmon, for example, mentions that it would behoove most amateurs to follow suit with all golf shots from 130 yards and in!

Even though you might feel your shots are going to be shorter, crisp contact between the golf club and the ball will often nullify the effects of a shorter shot. Just remember to never change the tempo of your swing but, instead, follow this "choke-chart" to determine how to best utilize this golf tip, taking it to the range before using it on the golf course!

This week, Golf for Beginners podcast discusses the benefit of the choke shot and how you can get the most out of it. We also talk about my participation in the Paper Cup, an EWGA annual best-ball team match play event. While Paula Creamer was busy making waves at the Samsung Tournament, I was struggling with my partner to strategize, losing our match with four holes to play! Not very good golf for either of us!

Although the event coordinator purchased "winner" and "loser" shirts, I questioned the idea between being a "loser" and losing a match. Naturally, I refused to wear the shirt.

Finally, we dig deep into the internet and find some interesting news on both Tiger Woods and Natalie Gulbis.


Send your golf questions and comments to golfforbeginners@aol.com.

Subscribe to our weekly podcast through this RSS feed:http://feeds.feedburner.com/golfforbeginners or through iTunes.

Click Here to receive our archived podcasts and 100's of easy golf tips free! and check us out on MySpace!

"Shiny Tech" courtesy of Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)"

This podcast is supported by MyrtleBeachGolf.com, 866-409-2177.


Photo Credit: © Streeter Lecka/Getty Images .